And turn our imprest laurices in our eyes
Which do command them. With him I sent the Queca,
My reason all the same, and they are ready
Tó-morrow, or at further space, t'appear
Where you shall hold your session,

Alb. Sir, by your patience,
I hold

you

but a subject of this war, Not as a brother.

Reg. That's as we list to grace him.
Methinks our pleasure might have been demanded
Ere you had spoke so far. He led our pow'rs,
Bore the commission of my place and person,
The which immediate may well ftand up,
And call it self your brother.

Gon. Not so hot:
In his own grace he doth exalt himself,
More than in your advancement..

Reg. In my right,
By me invested, he compeers the best.
Alb. That were the most, if he should husband you
Reg. Jesters do oft prove prophets.

Gon. Holla, holla!
That eye that told you lo, look'd but a-fquint.

Reg. Lady I am not well, else I should answer
From a full Aowing stomach. General,
Take thou my soldiers, prisoners, patrimony,
Dispose of them, of me, the walls are thine:
Witness the world that I create thee here
My lord and master.

Gon, Mean you to enjoy him
Alb. The lett alone lyes not in your good will.
Bast. Nor in thine, lord.
Alb. Half-blooded fellow, yes,
Ball. Let the drum ftrike, and prove my title good.

Alb. Stay yet; hear reason: Edmund, I arreft thee
On capital treason, and in thy arrest,
This gilded ferpent for your claim, fair fifter,
I bar it in the interest of my wife,
'Tis fhe is sub-contracted to this lord,
And I her busband contradict your banes..

a

If you will marry, make your loves to me,
My lady is bespoke.

Gon. An enterlude.

Alb. "Thou art arm'd, Gloʻster, let the trumpet Cound: If none appear to prove upon thy perfon Thy heinous, manifest, and many treafons, There is my pledge: I'll prove it on thy heart Ere I taste bread, thou art in nothing less Than 1 have here proclaim'd thec.

I
Reg. Sick, O fick
Gon. If not, I'll ne'er truft a poison. [ Aside
Baft. There's my exchange, what in the world he is
That namcs me traitor, villain-like he lies;
Call by the trumpet: he that dares approach,
On him, on you, who not? I will maintain
My truth and honour firmly.

Enter a Herald.
Alb. A herald, ho.
Trust to thy single virtues, for thy soldiers,
All levied in my name, have in my name
Took their discharge.

Reg. My fickness grows upon me.
Alb. She is not well, convey her to my tent.

[Exit Reg.
SCENE VII.
Come hither, herald, let the trumpet found,
And read out this,

[A trumpet founds.

Herald reads. I P any man of quality or degree within the lifts of the

army, will maintain upon Edmund supposed Earl of Glo'fter, that he is a manifold traitor, let him appear by the third found of the trumpet : he is bold in his de. fence.

I trumpet. Her. Again.

2 trumpet. Her. Again,

3 trumpet. [Trumpet en/wers him within

Enter: medicine,

This sword of min
Where they fall

Exter Edgar armede
Alb. Ask him his purposes, why he appears
Upon this call o'th' trumpet.

Her. What are you?
Your name, your quality, and why you answer
This present summons ?

Edg. Know, my name is loft
By treason's tooth, bare-gnawn and canker-bit;
Yet; am I noble as the adversary
I come to cope.

Alb. Which is that adversary?
Edg.. What's he that speaks for Edround Earl of

Glo'ster.?
Baft. Himself, what fay'lt thou to him?
Edg. Draw thy sword,
That if my speech offend a noble heart,
Thy arm may do thee justice, here is mine:
Behold it is the privilege of mine honours,
My oath, and my profeffion. I protest;
Maugre thy strength, place, youth, and eminence,
Spite of thy victor-sword, and fire-new fortune,
Thy valour, and thy heart, thou art a traitor ;,
False to thy gods, thy brother, and thy father,
Conspirant gainst this high illuftrious Prince,
And from thextreameft upward of thy head,
To the descent and dust below thy foot;
A moft road-spotted traitor. Say thou no,
This sword; this arm, and my beft fpirits are bent
To prove upon thy heart, whereto I speak,
Thou lyeft.

Bast.' In wisdom I should ask thy name,
But since thy out-side looks so fair and warlike,
And that thy tongue fome 'ay of breeding breaths,
What safe and nicely I might well delay
By rule of Knight-hood, I disdain and fourn:
Back do I toss these treasons to thy head,
With the hell-hated lie o'erwhelm thy heart,
Which (for they yet glance by, and scarcely bruise)

+ 'fay før ellay, some new or probability,

This sword of mine shall give them inftant way,
Where they shall rest for ever. Trumpets, speak.

(Alárum. Fight? Alb. Save him, fave him.

Gon. This is practice, Gloster:
By th' law of war, thou wait not bound to answer
An unknown opposite ; thou art not vanquish’d,
But cozen'd and beguild.

Alb. Shut your mouth, dame,
Or with this paper fhall I stop it;
Thou worse than any thing, read thine own evil:
No tearing, Jady, I perceive you know it.

Gon. Say if I do, the laws are mine, not thine,
Who can arraign me for't?

Alb. Monster, know'st thou this paper ?
Gon. Ask me not what I know- [Exit Gon,
Alb, Go after her, she's desperate, govern her,

SCENE VIII.

Baft. What you have charg'd me with, that I have

done,
And more, much more; the time will bring it out.
'Tis past and fo am I: but what art thou
That'hast this fortune on me? If thou’rt noble,
I do forgive thee.

Edg. Let's exchange our charity :
I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund
If more, the more thou'st wrong'd me.
My name is Edgar, and thy father's son.
The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices
Make inftruments to plague us :
The dark and vitious place, where thee he got;
Cost him his eyes.

Baft. Thou'll spoken right, 'tis true,
The wheel is come full circle, I am here.

Alb. Methought thy very gate did prophesie
A royal nobleness; I must embrace thee:.
Let sorrow split my heart, if ever I
Did hate thee, or thy fathera,

Edad

your self?

a

Edg. Worthy Prince, I know't.

Alb. Where have you hid
How have you known the miseries of your father?

Edg. By nursing them, my lord. Lift a brief tale,
And when 'tis told, O that my heart would burit.
The bloody proclamation to escape
That follow'd me so near, (0 our lives sweetness !
That we the pain of death would hourly bear
Rather than die at once) taught me to shift
Into a mad-man's

rags,
t'ai

ne a semblance
The yery dogs disdain'd: and in this habit
Met I my father with his bleeding rings,
Their precious gems new loft; became his guide,
Led him, beg'd for him, fay'd him from despair,
Never (O fault) reveald my self unto him,
Until some half hour past, when I was arm'd,
Not sure, though hoping of this good fuccess,
I ask'd his blesting, and from first to last
Told him my pilgrimage. But his flaw'd heart,
Alack, too weak the conflict to support,
'Twixt two extreams of passion, joy and grief,
Burst smilingly.

Baft. This speech of yours hath mov?d me,
And Thall perchance do good, but speak you on,
You look as you had something more to say.

Alb. If there be niore, more woful, hold it in,
For I am almost ready to diffolve,
Hearing of this

SCENE XI.

Exter 4 Gentleman.

Gent. Help, help!
Edg. What kind of help?
Alb. Speak man.
Edg. What means this bloody knife?
Gent. 'Tis hot, it smoaks, it came even from the